Homeowners warned of increases to repair bills due to poor weather

Local home services marketplace Bidvine has released a study into the quotes given on their site for home maintenance and repair work and has warned that homeowners should expect an increase in costs during the Autumn months.

Tens of thousands of quotes from the last two years were analysed and it was found that during the months between September and November, repair and maintenance services increased in cost by as much as 50%. The most costly services were draft proofing at a 50% premium, deck repairs at 39% more and boiler repair at 23% more expensive compared to other times of the year. It also shows that homeowners can expect to pay more for tree surgeons, roofers, fence repairs and gutter maintenance. Even interior painting was more expensive.

Hourly rates were also shown to increase as the months went on, with draft-proofing experts charging £20 per hour in September, £25 per hour in October and £30 per hour during November. This pattern was noticed amongst almost all trades that are more heavily relied upon during worsening weather.

The study was carried out with a backdrop of weather warnings from the Met Office for wet and windy weather over the next 3 or 4 months. They also suggest that there may be an increased number of frosts and colder temperatures as the weeks continue.

Sohrab Jahanbani, the founder of Bidvine.com has stated that there is a definite seasonal increase within the home services industry and that demand pushes up prices for both indoor and outdoor services. He suggests that savvy homeowners could take advantage of the cheaper prices during October to get work done in advance of poor weather arriving.

Jahanbani points out that leaving major renovation work such as kitchens and bathrooms or extensions until close to Christmas can result in huge savings - as there is less demand at these times. He also recommends that everyone wishing to have work done on their home should get multiple quotes to ensure they are getting the most competitive deal.